Arriba Abajo

We tried Arriba Abajo for dinner while staying at the tommie. I rarely try hotel restaurants for dinner but this spot just seemed too perfect to pass up! Loved most of the food, vibe, and service here.What we had:* Lobster Quesadilla - so good* Shrimp Ceviche - not my thing, I should've realized this wasn't a traditional ceviche!* Fajitas - sizzling and delicious

The place is gorgeous, but as a person with high expectations for Mexican food I can't help but call out that my meal and cocktail were average.I had two fish tacos and nothing stood out, besides the fresh tortilla which I loved! For my cocktail, I had the cantarito which I've learned to enjoy and prepare a lot from my recent trip to Tequila, MX that unfortunately didn't hit the mark for me. I think it was missing more of fresh grapefruit / orange juice. I appreciated the service that we were given. The gentleman was very attentive and communicative throughout our time at the place. The place though beautiful, I wondered if they were having a slow night because there weren't many people out and about at the outside bar / seating and it felt a bit on the quiet side.And when we were there and it was a weekend night! Overall the experience was okay, but the food or ambiance didn't knock me out of my feet enough to come back.

Review from your Happy Hour Queen at the AustinHHClubTheir Happy Hour is such a great value with 25% off all food and discounted cocktails. Arriba Abajo is such an incredibly unique place. The food is packed with so much flavor and their drinks are so incredibly creative. Their ambience makes you feel like you just got transported to an exotic island, which combined with the city views makes the visit even prettier. The service could have been better. We found ourselves waiting around to order more food and eventually grab the check.I can't wait to go back and try the rest of the food on the menu!

The perfect hidden gem! Excellent service, and the ambiance is amazing! It feels like you are in a jungle on the patio. It's beautiful! The food was so fresh and clean. My friend said her tea was the best tea she has ever had. Overall, it's amazing!

I'm hesitant to give this spot a 5 star rating as it's a hidden gem and I'm scared it's going to end up getting SLAMMED if people find out about it!You enter off of 5th street downtown, and immediately are greeted by a sign that says "take elevator to 4th floor." You emerge out onto the rooftop and it feels like you've been transported. The sounds of the city are faded, the air is fresh and the breeze is cool, and the couch-like lounge seats invite you to truly take a load off.There are plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options, and we ended up deciding to keep it more casual and stay outside. We ordered some food and drinks at the bar and found a high-top table to post up at. The carnitas tacos was fantastic... the meat was tender and salty and perfectly spiced. For me the star of the show was the lobster "quesadilla pizza," mostly because it was something I wasn't expecting! It was similar to a tlayuda, but the flavors just worked so well together. I immediately logged it in my notes as something to try recreating at home.The drinks were fantastic and strong, the vibe was right, and I can't wait to return. The only MINOR downside was that service was a touch slow. I think this is a kink they will work out soon :)

First timer here and i regret why i did not come here sooner. TLDR Amazing!Ambiance is perfect. Low lights, large and spacious interior. Service was great. Server was really nice and friendly. Gave couple suggestions. Always checked to ensure everything was okay. Food I like it. If i could nitpick something, I would say it takes some time to get the food, but it is okay :) so you have an excuse to get another MicheledaWe tried fajitas, lobster pizza, barbacoa tacos, ceviche etc it was all good. Special thx to Normandy. She came to check on us also she sent a complimentary dessert for our friend as it was his birthday made this dinner experience even better. Definitely will be back. This place is a gem in downtown Austin!

From the moment when we stepped inside the restaurant the place was energetic and inviting. We were greeted immediately and told there was live music going on tonight. Upon meeting the hostess at the upstairs hostess stand they were very welcoming and asked if I had a reservation, which I did just Incase they were busy. We initially wanted to do the outdoor seating and what was available was just a little short for our liking. But with no second guessing they took us back inside and got us a great table within eyesight of where the live music would be. I was a little worried about it being too loud but it was perfect as we could easily still hear our waiter and still talk amongst ourselves. Our waiter was Emanuel and he was such a pleasant individual. He made sure we never felt rushed and was respectful of our requests while ensuring we knew the special of the day. When we started making our selections we ordered everything at once. But he made sure to put in our appetizer first and then came back swiftly to finish taking our orders. When our drinks came out they were fantastic. Not too sweet, and not too strong. Great balance as we had a Blood orange mule, Ranch Water, and the frozen Passionfruit tini. Shortly after that our appetizer arrived and was very good. Especially with the house made chips. When our food arrived it all was very well plated and we of course got trying everything. Everything was very well seasoned and definitely cooked with passion. Word of advice, the lobster quesadilla pizza is a little spicy because of the jalapeño. It wasn't too spicy but just beware if you're not tolerant to spice. The carne asada was also great and well balanced. As well as the Caesar salad had house made dressing too and was delicious. We also had the luxury of meeting one of the managers, Normandie, while eating. She was fun and energetic. And once we told her we were visiting she even made some great suggestions of things for us to check out while we were in the area. Overall this is by far a spot I hope to visit again on my next stay as it was good food, great atmosphere, and amazing staff.

I would rate this place to be 7/10. We tried it on a Tuesday night for our anniversary, it was not crowded at all. We did sit outside which had nice ambiance. Ordered guacamole and ceviche as appetizers. Guacamole was good and tasty however the ceviche was on the bitter side. For entree we ordered Chicken Pibil fajita which was lacking flavor. Pibil has a nice tangy flavor but this chicken didn't and was on the dry side.We also ordered carne asada fajita plate and although the meat flavor was really good but the meat itself was chewy and not tender.Overall i would say to go and try it, it has a nice decor and view of few downtown buildings and at nights it's nice when it's lit up. Giving this place 4 stars for the ambiance.

My brother took my wife and I to this restaurant in downtown Austin. I absolutely loved the views of downtown Austin. The food was delicious and the staff was really nice. I had a few appetizers and the lobster quesadilla. The quesadilla was delicious, highly recommend.

Really enjoyed my experience at arriba abajo! I came on a Saturday evening just after thanksgiving, and there were plenty of empty tables so we had no trouble getting a res, and no wait. We ordered prickly pear margaritas which were lovely, and fairly decent sized so the price point isn't bad. We ordered the corn appetizer, and a combination of carnitas and mushroom tacos (each plate comes with two). The tacos were very flavorful and fun, esp with the corn! We didn't even bother with the add on beans and rice because we were plenty full after drinks and this amount of food. Our server who I believe was named Janelle was absolutely lovely - she was so helpful, kind, and checked in often. The ambiance of the restaurant is also lovely, it's spacious inside and outside, with a low light vibe, so good for a date.I think sometimes they have a DJ, but they didn't the night we came. They did have the UT game streaming on a projector screen at the outside bar too.Overall really happy with the experience here, would definitely go back any time!